F. W. James bowie knife

M

mariusgmioc

Joined
Jan 27, 2016
Messages
9
Hello,
I am rather new collecting knives and I need some oppinions.
Recently got this large bowie knife signed "F W Fames Sheffield."
What do you think about it?
Is this a famous knife maker?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kXPSSWLYsb6MWz2a6

kXPSSWLYsb6MWz2a6
 
Looks like a descent knife.
The "Sheffield" is where it was made.
I don't know the maker or the vintage of your knife. Jack Black Jack Black (he is our resident expert on English knives) may know, maybe he'll chime in.
 
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Fred James (1920-1986). I used to live and work close to his little workshop on Broomspring Lane in Sheffield. Fred hadn't trained as a cutler, but he had worked for Christopher Johnson, and then Wostenhom, who took the firm over, where he worked in the stores, where many of the old stamps, etching plates, and knife parts were stored. He set up in business in 1971, when Wostenhom were taken over by Joseph Rodgers. He is widely regarded as having produced a lot of 'fake' IXL knives, which had the old etches and stamps, and were mainly sold in the USA. He made many more knives under his own name though, they sold inexpensively in Sheffield, and for a lot more aboard. He once gave a pal of mine about 7 or 8 Bowies in a trade for some firewood. After his death, his wife Ivy, continued to produce knives, with the Fred James mark, for a few years. Your Bowie looks to be a rather typical example of his work, the etching plate will be genuine 19th century. The etch may have been done by Doris Welsh of Sheffield, who was an etcher at Wade & Butcher, if I remember correctly.
 
Jack Black said:
Fred James (1920-1986). I used to live and work close to his little workshop on Broomspring Lane in Sheffield. Fred hadn't trained as a cutler, but he had worked for Christopher Johnson, and then Wostenhom, who took the firm over, where he worked in the stores, where many of the old stamps, etching plates, and knife parts were stored. He set up in business in 1971, when Wostenhom were taken over by Joseph Rodgers. He is widely regarded as having produced a lot of 'fake' IXL knives, which had the old etches and stamps, and were mainly sold in the USA. He made many more knives under his own name though, they sold inexpensively in Sheffield, and for a lot more aboard. He once gave a pal of mine about 7 or 8 Bowies in a trade for some firewood. After his death, his wife Ivy, continued to produce knives, with the Fred James mark, for a few years. Your Bowie looks to be a rather typical example of his work, the etching plate will be genuine 19th century. The etch may have been done by Doris Welsh of Sheffield, who was an etcher at Wade & Butcher, if I remember correctly.
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Wow! Thank you very, very much! This is so much more than I expected! :)
 
Interesting to read this thread about Bowie knives. The acid etcher, Doris Walsh, who etched the blades made by Fred and Ivy James, was my mother. She died in 1995 and was the last acid etching Little Mester. There is a chapter about her in Clare Jenkins and Stephen McClarence's book "On The Knife Edge."
 
LizzyH said:
Interesting to read this thread about Bowie knives. The acid etcher, Doris Walsh, who etched the blades made by Fred and Ivy James, was my mother. She died in 1995 and was the last acid etching Little Mester. There is a chapter about her in Clare Jenkins and Stephen McClarence's book "On The Knife Edge."
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Hi Lizzy, your mum was a legend. I have a copy of the book, and used to know McClarence. I recently read an article on Fred, which substantially rehabilitated his reputation. I still sometimes see his knives for sale :)

s42901.jpg


My grandmother's maiden name was Walsh. She lived on Hicks Road at Hillfoot, with her parents, and later with my grandfather :)

You might find this thread interesting (that's a link) :thumbsup:
 
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mariusgmioc said:
Wow! Thank you very, very much! This is so much more than I expected! :)
Click to expand...
The acid etcher was Doris Walsh (not Welsh) and she didn't work for a company but was a Little Mester. One of the last in fact. She died in 1995 aged 82 and many of the bowie knives she etched are now in the Alamo Museum in Texas.
 
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